Planning to strike a happy balance

AFFORDABILITY and sustainability are two segments of home building that have seldom been mentioned together.

In recent years it may have been all well and good to have a zero emission home but the question buyers asked was: “Would I want to live in them?”

Yet all of that is changing.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council is committed to combining affordability and sustainability into the new Palmview development in which up to 8000 new houses will accommodate about 17,000 people between Sippy Downs and Caloundra. And the Urban Land Devolpment Authority (ULDA) has announced it intends to do the same at Caloundra South.

On Wednesday ULDA CEO Paul Eagles announced several sustainable and affordable housing initiatives for the 2360ha Caloundra South development.

Among the initiatives are a zero emission house as well as house and land packages in the low $300,000s, some even in the high $200,000s.

The Caloundra South development which is to house 50,000 people will be the target for these projects.

Guest speakers at Wednesday’s lunch at the University of the Sunshine Coast included Michael Ambrose from the CSIRO is the project leader for the Australian Zero Emission House Project (AusZEH) and Ausbuild CEO Ron Loney, who outlined the successful delivery of affordable housing within the ULDA’s Fitzgibbon Chase urban development in northern Brisbane.

The AusZEH project has developed an energy efficient new home designed for the Australian mass housing market that is affordable and produces no greenhouse emissions in operation.

As a result of the AusZEH project and the ongoing commitment by the ULDA to deliver cutting edge sustainable urban developments, research will be developed on ways to improve the existing housing stock to greatly improve their energy efficiency and reduce emissions from the entire residential sector.

AusZEH homes have been trialled in Melbourne, using up to 70% less energy than the average home with a zero net total of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.

At the same time Ausbuild has risen to the challenges at Fitzgibbon Chase and pushed the boundaries to deliver innovative design through the delivery of products such as loft homes and terraces which has resulted in great sales in a flat market.

The Zero Emissions House has been designed to do just that - produce enough renewable power onsite to supply all its needs and therefore nullify its greenhouse emissions over the course of a year.

Developed by the Henley Properties Group in consultation with the CSIRO, Delfin Lend Lease and Sustainability Victoria, the house is on display in Melbourne’s new northern suburbs. Apart from the solar panels on the roof, it looks very much like any other display, which was a key part of the plan.

Instigated by the CSIRO, the idea was to design a house to suit the needs of an average Australian family, comprising two adults and two children, that would show that high-performing buildings can be created for the volume building market.

Those eventually living in the property are expected to use about 70% less power than those in a traditional house of a similar size.

According to Michael Ambrose, this is a demonstration of what can be done, even in the mass housing market. "We hope it will be a catalyst to the building industry to say we really can do this and improve performance dramatically. My big hope is that it will kick them into action."

The CSIRO has found the housing sector produces 13% of greenhouse emissions. The key offender is electricity, which is often generated by carbon-intensive, high-emission energy sources such as coal-fired power stations. Zero emissions - as shown in this house - can be achieved through a combination of energy efficiency and demand-reduction measures, on-site renewable energy supply and a smart energy-management system.

Mr Ambrose said the whole idea was to show we can build more sustainably and affordably while still appealing to the house buying public.

That was why the CSIRO chose a mainstream building company such as Henley Properties to partner with.

“The design we used was one from Queensland. The idea was to go with volume builder because of costs and tweak an existing design. Next we looked at the block of land and it had to be aligned correctly in regard to aspect and climate.

“The AusZEH does not come for free but there is not a huge impost ... just a 5% increase but that is balanced by on-going savings and a more comfortable lifestyle.

“It’s a much more pleasant home to be in. We are trying to push the whole idea of living in it and enjoying it as well as having enviromental and financial benefits.”

The impressive eight-star rating given to this house is achieved through orientation, using the right building materials, insulation, advanced sealing systems (to reduce air leakage), double glazing, solar power, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and use of rainwater and grey water systems.

How the owners use resources such as energy and water is also key. To that end, the house is fitted with an energy management system that allows users to track their energy and water use.

Developed by La Trobe University in partnership with CSIRO, the system is displayed in the house on a touch-screen and can be accessed remotely via the internet or a mobile phone. It is designed to help educate the householder - you can see at a glance how much energy is being used in different areas of the house or by individual appliances.

It can also automatically switch devices on and off, so, for example, it can automatically switch off stand-by power in different parts of the house at a specifed time of the day.

The Zero Emissions House is modelled on Henley’s Kube range, from which a six-star house costs $253,900. To upgrade to an eight-star rating would cost an extra $20,000. On top of that, solar panels cost an extra $20,000. These are approximate figures.

Mr Ambrose said a big issue with sustainable housing is that Australians are building in new suburbs but there is little in the way of public transport to the areas.

“To achieve a sustainable community you need transport,” he said. “The distance from the city is a major issue.

“Yet we are looking at it from a different angle. It’s not the distance to the city but the distance to work that’are to be affordable for key workers and first home buyers and a further 2000 to be accessible for persons with disabilities and at various life stages.

Mr Ambrose agreed that governments should decentralise and that growth work centres in outer areas be looked at to create satellite cities.

He used the Victorian Governments decision to relocate its Transport Accident Commission (TAC) away from Melbourne to the regional city of Geelong as a prime example.

“It creates a new dynamic. It encourages these areas to create their own entity.

“Part of the (TAC) process was the state government leading by example. They discovered TAC did not need to be in the middle of a capital city. Staff were relocated.

“That has been successful. It gives new life to provincial cities.

“It’s good to have other industries. Education is one that starts to pop up and that is often a good boost ... other businesses follow around them.”